1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to both method and apparatus for removing nail coatings and particularly fingernail polish from the nails of a user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The most common nail coating takes the form of a variety of fingernail polishes which include a solvent such as acetone, the polish hardening on evaporation of the solvent after application to the nails. Such coatings are usually removed in order to apply new coating or to simply remove the coating for convenience. Removal of nail coatings such as fingernail polish has traditionally been accomplished by application of a nail polish remover which includes acetone or the like to a cotton ball and by then rubbing the acetone-bearing cotton ball against the polished nail. This time-consuming and messy process has conventionally been employed both by the professional manicurist and by the "home" user. In recent years, the home user has had available to her "dip" nail polish removal devices which include a nail polish removal solvent saturated in a foam body whereby the user dips each nail sequentially into a slit formed in the foam body so that polish is readily removed from each nail. The professional manicurist cannot use the dip nail polish removal devices of the prior art unless one of such devices is provided for each client. Health regulations do not allow use of such devices by more than one client due to sanitation reasons. Since the residue of nail polish from a previous user of such devices remains in the devices, the fingers of a subsequent user can become discolored from the residue remaining in the device. Still further, the polish residue in such devices accumulates and causes the solvent within the devices to weaken and thus require a longer period of time for removal of polish. Motorized nail polish removal devices also exist as exemplified by Boyd in U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,826 which discloses a cup containing a mohair brush or the like wherein the cup is rotatable in one direction only and receives each finger sequentially for removal of polish from each nail. In order for the Boyd device to be used by professional manicurists, it would be necessary for the manicurist to remove contaminated polish remover from the Boyd device after use by each client and to clean the mohair brush, a process which would require at least partial disassembly of the device to remove the brush and contaminated polish remover. Use of a brush in a motorized device for polish removal also tends to cause wear on the finger of a user and further does not remove polish quickly from a nail and especially from difficult areas such as the cuticle.
Again referring to the environment of the beauty salon, the professional manicurist is further disadvantaged by prior methodology for nail polish removal since the manicurist has not been able to wear nail polish due to the fact that the manual process of removing the client's polish with a saturated cotton tissue would at least partially remove or disfigure any polish or coating on the manicurist's own nails. The manicurist is further disadvantaged by the continual contact of acetone and other polish removal solvents with the fingers and hands, these solvents defating the hands and fingers quickly and thus causing the hands to dry out. The manual method of removing nail polish is also time consuming and requires that the manicurist be personally involved with the client during the nail polish removal work phase. The professional manicurist would definitely welcome a less labor-intensive method for removal of nail polish and especially would welcome the ability to be removed from the location of the polish removal in order to be accomplishing other tasks and also to be subjected less to fumes of the polish removal solvent, the inhalation of which may be injurious to health.
A long-felt need thus exists, especially by the professional manicurist, for methodology and apparatus which provide more rapid and safer removal of nail coatings such as nail polish and which decreases the involvement of the manicurist with a client during a relatively perfunctory work phase such as the removal of nail polish while increasing the ability of the manicurist to create greater dollar volume when freed of a task requiring little skill. The methodology and apparatus of the present invention not only provides these advantages to the professional manicurist but further enables the manicurist to substantially avoid contact with solvents which dry the hands and fingers and also to reduce inhalation of solvent fumes associated with removal of nail coatings and especially fingernail polish from the nails of clients. Practice of the invention by the professional manicurist also allows the manicurist to wear nail polish or to use other nail coatings without damage thereto, this ability causing the manicurist to personally display glamorous nail coatings, polish patterns, etc. which can constitute an immediate advertisement of the valuable services of the manicurist.